Apparatus for forming laminated molded structures



E. L. VlDAL' Oct. 9, 1945.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING LAMINATED MOLDED STRUCTURES Original File d Aug. 14, 1941 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 9, 1945 Nr or lcE APPARATUS FOR FORMING LAMINATED MOLDED STRUCTURES Eugene L, Vidal, Washington, D. assignor to Vidal Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Original application August 14,1941, Serial No.

406,756. Divided and-this application October 12, 1942, Serial No. 461,656 4 I 3 Claims. (Cl. 144-281) ing laminated structures from sheet material.

; This invention relates to apparatus for mold- This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 406,756, filed August 14, 1944, now Patent No. 2,342,988 granted Februa yf 29, 1944. ,1

The invention'is directed to providing novel and improved means for molding articles from. laminated. sheet material, especially wood veneer, by the action of fluid pressure acting to mold the sheets of veneer and to bond the same together with plastic bonding material. The present inventionis particularly directed to the molding of. structures having relatively short-radius convex curvatures, especially where the radius of curvature is so small that the wood veneer is subjected to severe bending and consequent strains which would normally rupture the flbres of that normally frangible material. In the past dimcult has been encountered in so molding convexly curved veneer structures where the curvature is relatively sharp at a particular part of the article, especiall'ywhere the curvature is substantially less elsewhere, thus presenting a relatively small area having a short radius of curvature which leads into much larger areas all hav- I ing-flat surfaces or surfaces of relatively long radius curvature. Many such structures are encountered in airplane parts, the leading edge of, a wing or of a fln being typical.

In molding sheets of wood veneer to form such curved structures, it is customary to bend and position the laminae loosely about a mold having the interior shape of the part to-be molded. The

' mold and laminae are then subjected to the molding action of external fluid pressure by encasing same in a flexible container, preferably vented to the atmosphere, and then applying fluid pressure to the exterior of the container whereby a substantially uniform pressure is ap plied substantially normal to all areas of the sur. faces tobe molded. The molding of the veneer fluidic molding pressure.

that the area having the sharpest curvature is frequently not eflectively bonded and shaped. This difiiculty is prevalent whenever the areas which are substantially flat or of relatively long radius curvature substantially exceed the area of short radius curvature, as in the aircraft structures referred to. In molding the leading edges of such airioils, it frequently happens that the veneer at the leading edge buckles or creeps away from the'mold during the application of the fluid pressure so that wrinkles, insufiicient bonding, weakening or even breakage of the veneer will occur at the section of maximum curvature, I have discovered that these undesirable effects are apparently due to the simultaneous application of uniform fluid pressures to the surface of the entire structure. The aggregate pressures on the relatively large flat areas are so much greater than that over the area of sharp curvature that the tendency of the veneer is not to conform accurately to the curved edge, leaving some play so that it may buckle in that direction,.with the attendant undesirable results hereinabove reierred to.

I have discovered that these undesirable effects can be overcome and a proper molding operation of such variable curvature surfaces accomplished by a novel method ofldifierentially applying'the That is, accordingto my invention, 1 first apply the maximum fluidic pressure along theline or edge of maximum cu r 'vature, while preventing the full Pressure from simultaneously reaching the other areas of the material. By the novel means hereinafter disclosed, I am able to cause said maximum pressure 1 to travel gradually from the nose or maximum curvature areas of the article along the areas cause the molding of the article to take place in takes place in conjunction with the plasticizing, I

action thereon of bonding resins or the like, preferably of the thermoplastic type, so that under the combined actions of heat and fluid pressure the sheets of wood veneer are caused to be molded and bonded in the desired structural shape,

Typical moldlng operations, as described, are

of applicant and Laurence J. Marhoeier, Serial a progressive manner and substantially in accordance with the diminution of curvature of the mold. This results in what is virtually a smoothing or wiping action efiecting gradual travel away from the sharply curved leading No. 216,704, filed June 30,-) 1938, now Patent Np.

2,276,004 granted March 10, 1942'.

In so molding structures having the variable A curvatures, described above, it has been found edge and gradually increasingly toward the rear edges thereby first fixing andrm'oldlng the 'laminae at the leading edge and absolutely preventin'g any possibility of buckling by permitting sliding away from the sharp radius area,

The foregoing molding operationis preferably B so applying pressure I the elastic resistance of said membrane in the areas where relatively low pressure is desired at the start, I am able to control the gradual application and increase of pressure in. said area as desired.

It will be understood that the foregoing gen- I eral description and the following detailed description as well are exemplary and explanatory but are not restrictive of theinvention.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of one apparatus for carrying out the present invention;

Figure 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic view, partly in side elevation and partl in section,

,of the above apparatus contained in a pressure as embodied in apparatus for molding laminated structures on a removable mold from sheets of adhesively treated wood veneer. The adhesive may be a thermoplastic, such as polyvinyl butyral,

in which case heat is applied during the mold-- ing, or a thermo-setting adhesive, such as urea formaldehyde, which can be set with or without heat. The thickness of the veneer and the number of laminations thereof depend on the amount of curvature or angularity to be imparted thereto and on the desired strength of the structure being fabricatecl therefrom. Pressures between pounds per square inch and 90 pounds per square inch, and temperatures varying from 170 F. to 260 F. are satisfactory for molding a structure with veneer when the latter is treated with polyvinyl butyral, pressures of approximately 60 pounds per square inch and temperatures of approximately 240 F. usually producing best results.

The form upon which the veneer is shaped com- I prises, as shown, a removable mold l0 having the convex curved contour of the interior of the leading edge of a wing, that is, a curvature typical and illustrative of the molding problem solved by the invention. As will be seen, the convex edge of the mold Ill-is of a relatively short radius curvature forming thesharply curved nose area C, while the sides of the mold are very slightly curved and approach a fiat surface toward the bottom or trailing edges, so that said relatively fiat surfaces form areas Bwhich are relatively much more extensive than the sharply curved the mold. The latter step is for the purpose of fixing the sheets against displacement while the mold isbeing positioned in the apparatus for carrying out the molding operation.

After the sheets have been located on the mold, themold assembly is operatively positioned with respect to a novel pressure transmitting means l2, l3 for effecting the differential application of pressures, as more fully described hereafter, and the latter is subjected'to a uniform pressure which is transmitted thereby to the sheets to press the latter to the mold shape. In the illustrated embodiment, the means for applying uniform external fluid pressure comprise a flexible substantially impervious container or bag l4 and a fluidtight pressure tank l5 (Figure 2), said container having a conduit l6 connecting the interior thereof with a passage I! in said tank. A valve id is provided in said passage to control the communication between the said container interior and the tank exterior. Bag 14 has an opening I la in one end thereof for receiving pressure transmitting means l2, l3 together with mold l0 andmoldable material ll, said opening being provided with closure means Mb. A valve-controlled conduit I8 connects the tank interior to a pump, boiler 01' other source of high pressure fluid, the latter being preferably steam, air 01' water. If heat is required to activate the ad hesive or to expedite the activation thereof, the same may be provided in any well-known manner as by introducing a separate heating medium into the tank through a passage 18a or by heating the pressure applying medium before or after it is admitted into the tank. i

In order tocause sheets II to engage the mold smoothly without bulging or becoming separated as hereinbefore described, it is proposed to transmit a varying pressure to said sheets during the shaping and molding thereof, the pressure initially being so applied as to be a maximum at the relatively small area of maximum convex angularity 0r curvature of the mold. The novel pressure transmitting and controlling means l2, l3 comprise, as shown, a rigid base member l2, preferably formed integrally withmold 10, said base member being adapted to project laterally a substantial distance beyond the edges of the mold. A flexible member l3 which is preferably formed from an elastic sheet material, such as rubber or,.rubber composition, is detachably secured at its edges to base I2 in any well-known manner so as to encompass the laminations and the mold. To produce the desired pressure distribution during and after the bending of laminations H, sheet I3 is of such a size that the area thereof free to engage the exposed surface of area of the latter parts available for covering.

nose portion C. A plurality of adhesively treated veneer sheets H are positioned on the mold, being located to engage the uppermost area of the mold surface, i. e., the relatively small area of the mold which has the maximum curvature, the

sheets extending somewhat tangentially in 8. lat- This difference between the area of said sheet and the area available for covering by said sheet is preferablysuch that when the laminations are closely pressed upon the mold, sheet l3 tends to bridge the gaps or spaces I9 (Figure 3) on both sides of the mold between the edges of the lami-' nations and the top surface of base member l2. The thickness of sheet 13 will be calibrated in accordance with'the pressures to be used and the resistance thereto which it is desired to obtain from the stretch of the sheet l3, which in turn will depend somewhat upon the thickness of the article to be molded, the particular curvature thereofand other factorsr are positioned on mold l and flexible member [3 is fixed to the longitudinal edges of base member l2. To prevent adhesion between the outer surface of the outer lamination and member l3 and between the inner lamination and the mold, these adjoining surfaces are rendered non-adhesive either by the interposition of anon-adhesive material, such as cellulose acetate, or by being .free of adhesive.

dium into tank l5, the pressure being transmitted by said means to laminations'l I to bend and con- .form the latter to the mold shape. Heat may also be applied and the heat and pressure application ismaintained until the adhesive has been activated. Thereafter the application of heat is discontinued and when the moldable material c'ools to approximately room temperature the pressure is relieved. The molded structure is then removed from the molding apparatus, making the latter available for the next operation. During the bending of the laminations to the mold shape, flexible member I3 is stretched acrossv the gap between the top of the mold and the edges of the base l2 and transmits a variable pres-- sure to said laminations which lie in said gap. The resistance offered by member [3 to the pressure application tends to decrease the pressure at the projecting edges of.the moldable material and causes a maximum pressure to exist at the top of the sharply curved portion C of the lami- This presses the lamnated material(F'igure 3). inae into engagement with portion 0 of the mold before they engage side portions B of the mold and also prevents any buckling at portion C when the veneer is pressed to said side portions of the mold. The stretching of'member l3 during the pressure application takes place progressively from portion C toward the edges of portions B and this relative displacement applies tangential friction forces to the laminations which increase progressively from the center to the edges. This said molding surface portion; of means including also tends to keep portion 0 in close engagement Y with the mold. It is to be noted that at the lamination edges there is a minimum pressure resisting .the expansion of the laminated material edgewise. Accordingly, any displacement occurs in this direction of least resistance, further insuring the smooth engagement of the moldable material with the mold. The stretching of member 13 across gaps" also prevents said member tematively a suitable baflle or'the like my be.

placed acrossthe ends of the mold to'prevent influx of the outer bag-l4.

' There is thus provided a novel apparatus where by sheets ofv adhesively treated moldable. material are pressed to the shape of a form and formed in of "pressure; The apparatus is adaptable for molding and for veneering and protects the moldable material from being deformed and struca unitary structure by. a single application turally weakened during molding. The laminations of moldable material do not have to be mechanically bent and secured to the mold before being subjected to the molding pressure, nor do any other complicated precautionary measures have to be taken prior to the molding operation.

It is to be expressly understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated and described. For example, it will now be apparent to those skilled in the-art that mold I may be detachable from base l2 and the latter may be permanently attached to sheet l3 which is provided in the latter case with an opening for insertion of the mold and moldable material. Various other changes may be made in the design and,arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the mold, material and flexible cover may be positioned in a tank or containerin which a bag is already positioned. With this method the pressurebag would be inflated and the fluid pressure thus transmitted to the mold and material. For a definition of the limits of the invention, reference will be had primarily to the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1.- The combination with a form on which laminations of adhesively treated material are adapted to be superposed of a rigidsupport for said form, said support extending laterally beyond the sides of said form, a flexible plastic sheet secured to said support, said sheet extending in substantially taut fashion from the "edges of said support over said form and the material thereon, a flexible substantially impervious bag, said form and the parts assembled therewith being contained in said bag, and a pressure tank adapted to apply a fluid pressure to said bag to stretch said flexible sheet into engagement: with said laminations and thereby press the laminations to the shape .of the form.

nations of adhesively treated material are adapted to be superposed substantially at theapex of a flexible substantially fluid-impervious, pressure-transmitting membrane for applying fluid pressure to said laminations, when present, to conform them to said form; and, a flexible elastic member positioned between said laminations and saidpressure transmitting membrane, said flexsaid laminations will be progressively conformed a; the form from their locus of original support ible elastic member being detachably secured to said base at points on opposite sides of and spaced from said molding surface portion and encompassing said form and the laminations, when positioned thereon, and being normally of a size such that the area thereof free to engage the exposed surface of said laminations and form when I said laminations are pressed to the formis less I than the aggregate surfacearea of the laminations and form available for covering, whereby said flexible elastic member will be placed under tension or be stretched when pressure is transmitted thereto by said membrane and will be pressed against said laminations on opposite sides 01' the apex'of said molding surface portion and towards their opposite ends. p

3. The combination with a mold having a convex contour of relatively sharp curvature ,on which laminations of adhesively treated material are adapted to be superposed substantially at the apex of said mold; of a rigid support for said mold; said support extending laterally beyond the sides of said mold; a flexible elastic sheet detachably secured to said Support on opposite sides of and spaced from said mold and encompassing said mold and the laminations when positioned thereon; said sheet being normally of a size such that the area thereof free to engage the exposed surface of said laminations, mold and support when the laminations are pressed to the mold, is less than the aggregate surface area of the laminations, mold and support available for covering; a flexible, substantially fluid-impervious, pressure-transmitting membrane also extending from said support on opposite sides of and spaced from said mold and encompassing said flexible elastic sheet, said mold and the laminations when positioned thereon; and, a tank containing the elements above specified and adapted to receive pressure fluid and thereby apply fluid pressure to the exterior of said pressure-transmitting membrane, whereby said flexible elastic sheet will 

